Bottle Feeding Transfer Wheel Inversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bottle feeding systems for filling stations face instability issues with vertically oriented bottles, leading to frequent jamming and inefficiencies due to complex guide systems and long setup times when changing bottle formats.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor system that receives bottles in a horizontal orientation, using a transfer wheel to rotate and pitch them vertically while maintaining a constant pitch, eliminating the need for subsequent repitching and reducing instability-related jams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bottles are oriented vertically in the buffer system, then they can be fed to the filling station, but the vertical position becomes unstable causing frequent jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional approach by accumulating bottles horizontally instead of vertically. The conveyor belt transports bottles in horizontal orientation, and only at the discharge point does the transfer wheel rotate them to vertical orientation for filling. This inversion eliminates the instability problem throughout the accumulation and feeding process.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottles are oriented vertically in advance at the discharge point of the conveyor belt, before entering the filling station. The transfer wheel rotates the bottles from horizontal to vertical orientation precisely at this point, so that the bottles are already in the correct position when they enter the filling station, eliminating the need for complex guide systems during accumulation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If complex lateral and vertical guide systems are used to stabilize bottles, then vertical position stability improves, but device complexity and setup time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex lateral and vertical guide systems from the buffer accumulation area. By changing the accumulation orientation to horizontal and using a transfer wheel at the discharge point, the system removes the need for intricate guide mechanisms that would be required to stabilize vertically oriented bottles during accumulation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If complex guide systems are implemented, then bottle stability improves, but setup time for format changes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the orientation approach to eliminate the need for adjusting complex guide systems during format changes. By accumulating bottles horizontally and using a transfer wheel for vertical orientation at discharge, the system allows quick format changes by simply adjusting conveyor speed ratios through software, without mechanical reconfiguration of guide systems.
4Stability of the object's composition
If bottles are accumulated horizontally, then stability improves and setup time decreases, but a transfer mechanism is required to orient them vertically
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer wheel serves multiple functions: it acts as both a conveying element and a rotation mechanism that orients bottles from horizontal to vertical position. This multi-functional design simplifies the overall system by combining what could be separate components into a single versatile element.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system ensures stable bottle feeding with reduced machine stoppages and simplified format changes through software adjustments, enhancing operational efficiency and availability.
Implementation Method 1
The wheel 18 is provided, on its periphery, with a plurality of seats 20 designed to pick up and withhold the respective bottles B preferably by suction means.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for feeding bottles (B) to a filling station, wherein said bottles (B) have respective filling openings (O) and a longitudinal axis (A) orthogonal to said filling openings (O), comprising: - a conveyor (12), provided for feeding the bottles (B) in a direction of feed (C) so that they are arranged with their longitudinal axes (A) horizontal and with the filling openings oriented in a mutually concordant way; and - a transfer wheel (18), which is able to turn about an axis (D) inclined with respect to said direction of feed (C) and is provided with a plurality of gripping seats (20) designed to pick up from said conveyor (12) the bottles arranged with said axis (A) horizontal and to release the bottles (B) with said axis (A) oriented in the vertical direction.